Vehicle wheel and axle.



No. 774,415. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

- M. CONRAD.

VEHICLE WHBEL- AND AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1a, 1904.

No M oDnHI., u x

Patented November 8, 1904.

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MARTIN CONRAD, OF CHICAGO, ILIiINOIs.

VEHICLE WHEEL AND AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,415, dated November8, 1904.

Application filed January 13,1904. Serial No. 188,841. (No model.) A

YTo all whom. it may concern: g

Be it known that I, MARTIN CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle IVheels andAxles; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, andexact description thereof, ref.- erence being had to theaccompanyingdra'w.- ings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in vehicle wheels and axles,the same relating more particularly to the construction of `the axle-armand the parts of the wheel-hub which engage said arm.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointedout in the appended claims.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in j which Figure l is a view of one end of a vehicleaxle asseen in side elevation with a wheel applied thereto in vertical section.Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View showing an axlearm in sideelevation and a hub-box and associated parts in central longitudinalsection. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a cross-section taken upon line A 4L of Fig. 2.

As shown in the said drawings, A indicates a metal axle, and A theaxle-arm formed upon the end thereof to receive the wheel and to afforda bearing for the same.

B is a wheel, and B the wheel-hub.

C indicates the hub box, which extends through and is affixed in the huband which is both exteriorly and interiorly tapered. Said hub-boxcorresponds generally in construction with tlie hub-box heretofore usedin connection with wooden axles having metal skeins. The axle-arm A is,however, smaller in diameter than the interior of said hub-box. Betweenthe axle-arm A' and the hub-box C at the inner and outer ends of saidaxle-arm are placed loose bearing-rings D D. The ring D at the inner endof the axle-arm is larger in external diameter, and therefore i thickerthan the ring D at the outer end of said axle-arm. The difference inthickness or external diameter between thetwo rings correspondswith thetaper of the hub-box, so that the inner and larger ring D supports theinner or larger end of the hub-box centrally on the axle-arm, while thesmaller or outer ring Dl likewise 'supports the smaller outer end of thehub-box centrally on the axle-arm. The hub-box may thereby be madetapering, as 'lieretofore, to enable it to be driven or forced into theIhub and may also be made of substantially uniform thickness throughoutor no thicker at its inner than at its outer end, as would be necessaryif both of the rings were made of the same external diameter. Said ringsD and. D are adapted to turn freely on the axle-arm and also to turnfreely in the hub-box.

The axle-arm A is bent or inclined downwardly from its inner toward itsouter end, said axle-arm in this respect corresponding with thearrangement of the'axle-arms of wooden axles having skeins, it beingunderstood that such axle-arms are inclined or set at such an angle andso tapered that the lower `surface of the axle-arm is horizontal as isalso the bearing or contact surface ofthe hub-box, which rests inbearing contact with the said lower surface of the axle-arm under thedownward pressure with the load. rIhis arrangement of the axle-arm andhub is employed in connection with wooden wheels which are dished inorder to bring into an upright position the wheel-spokes which arebeneath the axle and carry the load.

The arrangement described of the bearingrings'or collars D Dl inconnection with the -downwardly-inclined solid metal axle-arm `producesa cheaper and more durable construction than in the case of a woodenaxle provided with skeins. Moreover, as seen in Fig. 1, thebearing-surfaces of said rings D Dl in contact with the axle are smallerin diame- A ter than in the case of a wooden axle having skeins, andthere will therefore be less frictional resistance to the turning of thehub on the axle under the downward pressure of the load. In other words,the construction described provides for the same arrangement of lOO thedished wheel with the spokes thereof which are below the axle invertical position, and while there will be some tendency for the hub topress endwise against the axle-collar the wheel on the whole will runeasier than when a metal skein of much larger diameter is employed, asin vehicles having wooden axles.

The axle-arm, as shown in the several tigures of the drawings, is madecylindrie or of equal size from end to end. In all eases, however, thesaid arm is at its end portions, which receive the rings D and DQsmaller in diameter than the interior diameter of the surroundinghub-box.

As seen in Figs l to 4, the part of the hubbox C between the two rings DDis made smaller in diameter than the end portions of said box whichreceive the rings, so as to form shoulders c c', against which the innerends of said rings bear and by which the rings are held from endwisemovement on the axlearm. Outward movement of said rings on said arm isprevented in one instance by the collar a at the inner end of saidaxle-arm and in the other instance by the nut E, which is applied to theouter end of the axle-arm in the usual manner. The intermediate orcontracted part of the hubnbox is shown as pro vided with longitudinalchannels c? c2, Fig. 4, the bottoms of which are in line with thebearing-surface of the box and which serve to lessen the weight of thehub-box and to afford passage for lubricating-oil from one end to theother of the box.

The rings D D', as clearly seen in the sectional view of the ring D,Fig. 3, are shown as provided with longitudinal oil-grooves Z CZ ontheir inner and outer faces, said grooves permitting the passage of oilor lubricant in a direction endwise of the axle-arm and to facilitatethe distribution of the oil over the contact-surfaces of the rings,axle-arm, and box.

In the construction of Vagons and other vehicles adapted for carryingheavy loads wooden axles provided with metal skeins have been preferred,because by reason of thelarger size and taper of the skeins muchl playcould be given between the hub-box and the skein, with the advantage ofenabling the wheel to run easier than if the parts were made to closelylit each other. Inasmuch as hickory, the wood used for wooden axles, isbecoming scarce and will soon be extinct, a metal substitute for woodenaxles is becoming highly desirable. This I have provided by theconstruction described, in which a solid steel axle will operate underthe same conditions in use as the prior wooden skein-axles, it beingobvious that the bearing-rings described may be made to titloosely bothon the steel axle-arm and in the hub-box and being thereby adapted cernsthe feature of play between the h ub-box and axle-arm and consequentease of running of the wheel as is obtained by the skeins and hub-boxesnow in use. It will also be obvious that by using rings of differentdiameters a sold steel axle made as described may be given the properset or downward bend, so that the spokes of a (lished wheel will standvertically under the load, while at the same time the hub-box may bemade tapering and of uniform thickness as heretofore.

A further advantage of the construction described is that inasmuch asthe bearing-rings are adapted to turn either on the axle-arm or in thehub wear is divided between the axle and hub-box and both are renderedmore durable. Moreover, the rings when they become worn can be renewedat slight expense.

The axle made as described is cheap enough to be used for farm and otherlike wagons and has the advantage over the skein construction that thebearing-rings can be easily renewed by the user at slight expense ascompared with the cost of renewal of skeins when equally worn.

On the finer or more expensive grades of wagons hub-boxes may be used asabove described; but instead of iron rings antifriction metal may beused for the interposed bearingrings.

An important advantage of the construction described is that axleshaving solid cylindric axle-arms may be readily and cheaply made eachfrom a single piece or length of cylindric rolled-steel bar of theproper diameter to form the axle-arms.

The outer surfaces of the rings D and D are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 asmade of cylindric form and as a consequence the lower surface of eachring departs slightly from a horizontal line. Such cylindricconstruction in the outer ring D is employed in connection with ahub-box made as illustrated in order to enable the said ring to beinserted in its place in the box.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with an axle-arm and hub-box,thev axle-arm being of cylindrical form and smaller in diameter than theinner bearing-surface of the hub-box, and the hubboX being larger at itsinner than at its outer end, of loose bearing-rings of interiorly andexteriorly cylindric form, interposed between the ends of the axle-armand the hub-box, said hub-box having oppositely-facing shoulders forcontact with the inner ends of the rings, the ring at the inner end ofthe arm being larger in external diameter than the one at the outer endthereof, and both rings being adapted to turn freely on the axle and inthe hub-box.

2. The combination with an axle-arm and a tapered hub-box, of loosebearing-rings interposed between the ends of the axle-arm and annularbearing-surfaces on the box, said box IOO IIO

having a contracted part between the bea'rngof two Witnesses, this 7 thday of January, A. D. rings, and longitudinal channels in said oon-1904. trnoted part, the bottoms of which are in line `1 with thebearing-surfaces at the ends of said MARTIN (JONRAD 5 box. W'itnesses:

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as WALTER SCHUTTLER, myinvention I aiiix my signature, in presence B. H. WEEANA.

